After
being on the Imperial prison ship for the previous two days, arriving
at Seyda Neen was perfectly welcomed. I stepped out of the hatch door
and breathed in the swampy air. It had that sea smell to it that I
didn’t like, but it was cool and refreshing. I stepped up onto the
deck. A tall Redguard instructed me to walk down to the office. I did
just that. As I entered to Imperial Census and Excise office, I found
two individuals inside. One was a guard, wearing the clunky Imperial
armor that they always do. The other was a Breton, who greeted me
before I had even closed the door.

“So,
you’re Bosmer…” he said aloud, as he scrawled the information down on
a piece of paper. “..and what is your name?” I cleared my throat
slightly before I responded.

“Prophiter,”
I said to him.

“And when
were you born?” he continued.

“The 16th
of Evening Star.”

“Alright.,
and your trade?”

“I’m an
acrobat.” An acrobat, the usual alias of a thief. It wasn’t really a
lie.

“Hmm, well
Prophiter, that should be enough. You’ll take these papers through to
the next building.”

I
followed his instructions and continued to the next building. There I
found another imperial; this one with more impressive armor. It was
golden, or maybe brassy coloured, with red cloth lining. Very
expensive looking. I figured he must have killed a lot of people to
get such a suit of armor. At first, he said nothing to me and instead
he just took the papers from my hand.

“So…Prophiter,
my name is Sellus Gravius, but my background is not important. All
that’s important is that you follow your orders and do not get into
trouble. You will begin by making your way to Balmora, and finding a
cornerclub called the South Wall. Your task will be to locate a
Thieves Guild member, and find a way to join the ranks of their
guild. Since you were arrested for thievery back in Cyrodiil, I’ll
assume that you’ll have few problems becoming a member. Once you’ve
gained their trust, your objective will be to learn how their guild
operates, to list all members known to reside in Vvardenfell, and to
keep track of all of the crimes and operations that you discover.
Then after a period of approximately two months, you are to return
here to report your findings. Is that clear?” I was a little spaced
out by the time asked me that question.

“Yes…yes,
definitely,” I responded.

“Do you
have any further questions about your assignment?” I did not. “Good,
then go now, and you can be in Balmora by this afternoon. Complete
your task and you will be cleared of your charges and allowed to
return to Cyrodiil. If you betray these orders, you will be betraying
the Emperor, and you will suffer the fate of all traitors. Remember,
we will be keeping our eyes on you.” He stared at me, sternly, as if
waiting for a response. His eyes were very serious, and he stood
still like a rock. I couldn’t help but smirk somewhat.

“Gotcha,”
I said before exiting from the building. I stood outside on the
streets, or street of Seyda Neen, and reflected upon my new mission:
to infiltrate the Thieves Guild. I didn’t think that would be too
hard. What Captain Gravius apparently didn’t know, was that I was
already a member. I had been arrested in Cyrodiil City as I was
performing a guild mission. The only problem was reporting back to
the Imperials. I had no intention of betraying the Thieves Guild,
although the Imperials may very well get angry if I screwed around
with them. But then again, that was what we always did back in
Cyrodiil. The clunky armored guards, fully packed marketplaces, loose
purse strings, and exciting chases. That was nothing new to anyone
who had ever stepped foot in Cyrodiil City. So, I figured that
Captain Gravius would understand. Besides, what kind of Imperial
Legion officer trusts a thief anyway? Nevertheless, if there was a
Thieves Guild in Balmora, then that would be the best place that I
could go.

I wandered
through the small town, and tried and find a signpost, or map. There
was a small assortment or races there in Seyda Neen. I saw mostly
Dunmer and Imperial guards, but there were a few other elves about.
One of them approached me.

“Hello.
Are you off an Imperial prison ship as well?” the Bosmer said to me.
I was somewhat startled, as he came up from behind me. I turned
around though, and responded.

“Huh?” I
queried.

“Well, by
those dirty clothes I just assumed that you were another prisoner
being released. By the Imperials, that is. They’ve been doing that a
lot, recently. Well, are you?” he asked, with optimistic, cocked
eyebrows. I looked down at the clothes that I had been wearing for
the last two weeks and realized that he was correct; they were dirty.
I then responded.

“Yes, I
am. Who are you?”

“Oh!
Forgive me. My name is Fargoth. And yours?” I did not forgive him.

“Prophiter,”
I said.

“Well,
Prophiter, now that we’ve been acquainted, do you mind if I ask what
you were imprisoned for?” I paused. Fargoth was an odd little man,
and I didn’t much care for his disingenuous personality. It reminded
me too much of myself. I humoured him though, and answered
immediately.

“Murder,”
I said. I then stood very still, and stared into his black eyes for a
response. My humour apparently did not affect, or rattle him, and he
simply continued on.

“Really?
Wow, that’s interesting. I’ll bet you have some good stories to tell.
You should stop by my friend Arrille’s Tradehouse if you need
anything. It’s always good to see Bosmer faces in Morrowind.
Especially because these Dunmer are such a drag to talk to.” I looked
over at the Tradehouse, and tried to respond to his conversation.

“Yeah…
Dunmer. They really are…religious. I think I should go now. To
Arrille’s Traehouse, I mean.”

“Oh, yes.
Tell him I sent you,” Fargoth said, as I backed away.

That
conversation was unpleasant, but only encouraged my desire to leave
that swampy town and find my way to Balmora. I did stop in at the
Tradehouse, however. I had no money, but, I figured that I could
charm my way into something. I stood outside the door and prepared
myself. I had been imprisoned for weeks, and was a little worried
about being rusty. I cracked my knuckles, and stretched my jaw, and
took a few quick, deep breaths.

Inside the
Tradehouse, stood Arrille; an Altmer, wearing fine clothes. He was
tall and slender, like all those of his race. “Hello,” he said to me.
I nodded in response. I began to look around, as if I were going to
purchase something. Arrille asked me if there was anything he could
help me with. I held up my end of a conversation that was of no
interest to either of us. As we spoke, I spotted a few items that
would be of use to me.

“Fargoth
actually recommended that I come here. You two…are friends?” I asked.
His face made a quick look that was a mix of recognition and
contempt.

“Yes…I
know Fargoth,” was his response. “How long will you be staying in
Seyda Neen?” he asked.

“Oh, not
long. Then I’ll be heading to…Balmora,” I said to the Altmer.

“To
Balmora?” Arrille asked unnecessarily. I nodded, noticing a map
pinned to the wall, to the side of Arrille.

“Do you
suppose…that you could show me the best route to take on that map
there?” I asked. The Altmer turned, and I swiped the short sword that
lay on the table beside me. He examined the parchment, and I fit the
blade in the back of my pants, underneath my shirt. I then moved
towards him, and leaned in to where he was pointing.

”If you
began leaving the town here…” With his long, elegant, fingers, he
pointed to a path that led directly from Seyda Neen to the city of
Balmora. “…and that will lead you to Balmora,” he finished.

“Excellent,”
I proclaimed, having just lowered a few gold coins into my pocket.
“Well, thank-you for the advice. I think I’ll leave right away.” I
left the shop and made my way to the exit from Seyda Neen. I didn’t
know the terrain or the wildlife of Morrowind well, but that wasn’t a
problem. I knew the way, and that was enough for me. As I walked out
of town and down the dusty path, I reveled in my thievery. My mind
was foggy and my body was weakened from that Imperial prison ride,
but theft is a skill you never lose.